October 11, 2010

The Lazy Project Manager Concept

I've got a burr under my saddle about the concept of the "lazy project manager." The core concept is the Pareto principle, and the 80%/20% rule. One quote from the Lazy Project Manager site says...

The value of the Pareto Principle for a project manager is that it reminds you to focus on the 20 percent that matters.

Why on God's green earth would a project manager being spending 80% of hetr time doing things that don't contribute to the project?

While the notion of improving the processes of Project Management are always welcome, there are some issues. One is that BAD project management practices is not a good startiing point for process improvement practices. Just stop doing BAD project management processes first, then look for improvements. If that what the "Lasy Project Manager" is all about, then stop doing stupid thing on purpose and get back to managing.

Well let's see how this works on a DoD weapons system project? What 80% of the project management processes and for that matter 80% of the program itself should I ignore? What 80% of the daily processes of managing a large ERP deployment shoudl I ignore? Do I really have 80% inefficiency in the DoD IMP/IMS based Earned Value Management reporting processes for the monthly CPR, supported by the weekly EV, the Risk Management Board, the measures of Techncial Performance against the intergated test plan?

If it is the case that I could not perform 80% of the activities I do each day, each week, each month, with the 15 to 20 Program Planning and Controls staff plus the Program Manager and her 4 deputies, then we shouldl be looking for work elsewhere.

What project has an 80% inefficiencyin the project management processes? Show one of those and I'll show you truely BAD project management at work.

Here's the final straw. The author states...

I really mean that we should all adopt a more focused approach to project management and to exercise our efforts where it really matters, rather than rushing around like busy, busy bees involving ourselves in unimportant, non-critical activities that others can better address, or indeed that do not need addressing at all in some cases.

This is one of those "doctor, doctor it hurts when I do this." "Then stop doing that." style of advice. We know. But how did you get to be a PM in the first place. Maybe you're not cut out for this job. So a refreash of the poster hanging in the lobby of our building at Rocky Flats.

Comments

I've got a burr under my saddle about the concept of the "lazy project manager." The core concept is the Pareto principle, and the 80%/20% rule. One quote from the Lazy Project Manager site says...

The value of the Pareto Principle for a project manager is that it reminds you to focus on the 20 percent that matters.

Why on God's green earth would a project manager being spending 80% of hetr time doing things that don't contribute to the project?

While the notion of improving the processes of Project Management are always welcome, there are some issues. One is that BAD project management practices is not a good startiing point for process improvement practices. Just stop doing BAD project management processes first, then look for improvements. If that what the "Lasy Project Manager" is all about, then stop doing stupid thing on purpose and get back to managing.

Well let's see how this works on a DoD weapons system project? What 80% of the project management processes and for that matter 80% of the program itself should I ignore? What 80% of the daily processes of managing a large ERP deployment shoudl I ignore? Do I really have 80% inefficiency in the DoD IMP/IMS based Earned Value Management reporting processes for the monthly CPR, supported by the weekly EV, the Risk Management Board, the measures of Techncial Performance against the intergated test plan?

If it is the case that I could not perform 80% of the activities I do each day, each week, each month, with the 15 to 20 Program Planning and Controls staff plus the Program Manager and her 4 deputies, then we shouldl be looking for work elsewhere.

What project has an 80% inefficiencyin the project management processes? Show one of those and I'll show you truely BAD project management at work.

Here's the final straw. The author states...

I really mean that we should all adopt a more focused approach to project management and to exercise our efforts where it really matters, rather than rushing around like busy, busy bees involving ourselves in unimportant, non-critical activities that others can better address, or indeed that do not need addressing at all in some cases.

This is one of those "doctor, doctor it hurts when I do this." "Then stop doing that." style of advice. We know. But how did you get to be a PM in the first place. Maybe you're not cut out for this job. So a refreash of the poster hanging in the lobby of our building at Rocky Flats.